2023 SEASON (SUPER SENIOR)
Arguably one the Red Raiders’ top leaders, especially on defense, during his final collegiate season … named to the team captains circle by head coach Joey McGuire … praised for his strong communication skills in the secondary … one of five Red Raiders to start in all 13 games and one of two to do so from the defensive side of the ball … was joined by running back Tahj Brooks, offensive linemen Caleb Rogers and Rusty Staats as well as defensive lineman Tony Bradford Jr. on that list … ranked third on the team with 73 total tackles (53 solo), including 1.5 for loss and 1.0 sack … led the team with four interceptions and was second overall with eight pass breakups … marked the third-consecutive season to lead the team in interceptions … became only the second Red Raider in the Big 12 era to at least share the team high for interceptions over three-consecutive seasons, joining J.J. Gaines (2013-15) … marked his most interceptions in a single season during his career … added two quarterback hurries on blitzes from the edge … made at least two tackles in all 13 games and had four or more in 12 of 13 contests overall … recorded one double-digit tackle performance on the year … either broke up a pass or had an interception in eight different games … credited with 815 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which easily led the team … received a 78.5 overall grade for the season by PFF, which was third on the defense behind only C.J. Baskerville (79.4) and Bralyn Lux (78.7) … graded out at 76.2 in coverage by PFF, 76.0 in run defense and 79.0 in tackling … targeted with 35 pass attempts according to PFF with 20 of those going for completions … appeared on kickoff coverage throughout the season as well as on the field goal block unit … IN THE TEXAS TECH CAREER RECORD BOOK: moved into a tie for 10th all-time in the Texas Tech record book alongside Kevin Curtis (1998-01) … his 10th interception of his career to move into the record book came in the road win at Kansas (11/11) … IN NCAA RANKINGS: ended the season ranked tied for 19th in the FBS for total interceptions (4) and 34th for interceptions per game (0.3) … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: was tied for fourth in the league for total interceptions and seventh for interceptions per game … his three interceptions during Big 12 play ranked tied for third overall in the league … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began the season with five tackles and a pass breakup at Wyoming (9/2) … notched his first double-digit performance in tackles the next week versus Oregon (9/9), finishing with 12 stops, including 11 solo … closed non-conference play with four tackles, an interception and pass breakup in the win over Tarleton State (9/16) … interception came on Tarleton’s second drive of the third quarter, giving the Red Raiders the ball near the red zone for an eventual Gino Garcia field goal … opened Big 12 play with six tackles at West Virginia (9/23) before finishing with a season-low two stops in the win over Houston (9/30) … departed the Houston game after only 18 defensive snaps due to an injury … returned the next week for six tackles, a pair of quarterback hurries and a pass breakup in the victory at Baylor (10/7) … got the Red Raiders off the field on Baylor’s opening drive of the game with a key fourth-down hurry on a Baylor bootleg attempt … came close to reaching double digits for tackles again versus Kansas State (10/14) before finishing with nine, including one shared stop for a loss … combined for that total the next two weeks with five tackles and a pass breakup at BYU (10/21) and four stops against TCU (11/2) … performance versus TCU will be remembered more for his two interceptions … marked the first multi-interception game of his career with the first coming late in the third quarter and the other to seal the victory with less than a minute remaining … would have had three interceptions had it not been for a roughing the passer penalty in the second quarter … returned his first interception 23 yards to the TCU 16 yard line to set up an eventual Tahj Brooks touchdown run to close the fourth quarter, giving the Red Raiders a 28-21 lead … the Horned Frogs were in Texas Tech territory with roughly a minute remaining in overtime for his second interception, which secured the 35-28 victory … was the first time a Red Raider picked off two passes against a Big 12 foe since Vaughnte Dorsey had same amount against Oklahoma in 2018 … added another interception a week later in the road win at Kansas (11/1), picking off Chris Ballar midway through the third quarter … set up the Red Raiders for an eventual Gino Garcia field goal to take a 13-0 lead … added another pass breakup and five tackles versus the Jayhawks, including a solo sack in the fourth quarter … was just the second sack of his career … closed the regular-season with four tackles against both UCF (11/18) and Texas (11/24), the later game of which also featured a pass breakup … one of the Red Raiders’ top defensive standouts in the Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl with seven tackles and a pair of pass breakups … had a key pass breakup on a 3rd-and-6 attempt by Cal that forced a punt on its first drive of the second quarter, which the Red Raiders responded with a touchdown to take a 21-14 lead … AWARDS AND HONORS: named to the All-Big 12 second team by the conference coaches and the Associated Press … recognized on the All-Texas second team by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football … preseason candidate on the watch list for the Reese’s Senior Bowl … ALL-STAR GAME INVITES: generated significant buzz with his performance in the East-West Shrine Bowl … considered one of the top performers from the week-long event … NFL COMBINE: one of three Red Raiders to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine … led all safeties with a 4.41 best 40 time … also measured 38-0 in the vertical jump and 10-3 in the broad jump.
2022 SEASON (SENIOR)
Senior leader for a much-improved Red Raider defense … appeared in all 13 games as a safety with 12 starts overall … lone game to not start came in the Big 12 opener against Texas … ranked third on the team with 74 tackles (54 solo), including 5.5 for a loss and 1.0 sack … led all defensive backs in tackles with no one within 10 stops of him … especially effective in Texas Tech’s “take three” motto as the team leader with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries … also shared the team high with two forced fumbles … was third on the team with five pass breakups … his 74 tackles easily snapped his previous career high for a season by more than 10 stops … also matched his career high for interceptions in a season … his 5.5 tackles for loss were more than twice his career total entering the year … had at least two tackles in all 13 games and had five or more stops in nine different contests … all six of his tackles for loss on the year (solo or shared) were followed by a 3-and-out, failed fourth down or missed field goal … of his eight passes defended, all but one came during Big 12 play … the Red Raiders were a perfect 4-0 when he had either an interception or a fumble recovery … credited with playing in 902 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which led the team … graded out at 74.5 for the season by the website, which ranked fifth on the defense and second in the secondary among those with at least 100 defensive snaps … targeted 46 times in the passing game according to PFF with 27 of those going for completions (58.7 percent) … also made 119 snaps on special teams, according to PFF, with majority coming on the kickoff coverage and field goal block units … IN NCAA RANKINGS: closed the season tied for 22nd in fumble recoveries and 43rd for total interceptions … was tied for 17th with three interceptions against power-five opponents … was tied for 25th in the FBS with three interceptions in games the Red Raiders won … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: shared the league high with his two fumble recoveries and was tied for sixth overall with three interceptions … was tied for fifth in the conference for interceptions in wins and tied for sixth for interceptions against power-five foes … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the year with two tackles in the season-opening win over Murray State (9/3) … followed with seven stops in the overtime victory over Houston (9/10), while adding a fumble recovery and a pass breakup … fumble recovery came late in the first quarter after Krishon Merriweather punched out a completion to Ta’Zhawn Henry … closed non-conference play with five stops and a forced fumble at N.C. State (9/17) … made one of the top defensive plays of the season against the Wolfpack, knocking loose a fumble near the goal line that went out of bounds in the end zone for a touchback … was the first forced fumble of his career … began Big 12 play with four tackles against both Texas (9/24) and Kansas State (10/1) … had another forced fumble at K-State, this time on a Duece Vaughn rush up the middle that was later recovered by Tyree Wilson in the second quarter … read a screen pass perfectly later in the game for a two-yard loss to force a 3-and-out on K-State’s first drive of the second half … notched seven tackles in each of the next three games at Oklahoma State (10/8) and in home games versus West Virginia (10/22) and Baylor (10/29) … picked off his first pass of the season against the Mountaineers, a key interception in the end zone just before halftime that protected the Red Raiders’ 17-3 lead … also had a tackle for loss earlier in the quarter that led to a 3-and-out by the Mountaineers … set a new career high with nine tackles at TCU (11/5), which included his first career sack … dropped Max Duggan for the sack late in the second quarter in the Texas Tech red zone that ultimately led to a failed fourth-down conversion by the Horned Frogs … matched his career high the next week against Kansas (11/12) with three pass breakups and set a new career mark with 2.0 tackles for loss … had six total tackles in the win over the Jayhawks … first of his three pass breakups led to a failed fourth down conversion by the Jayhawks to start the second quarter … closed the regular season with two tackles at Iowa State (11/19) and six in the overtime win over Oklahoma (11/26) … performance against Oklahoma included an interception and a shared tackle for loss … picked off Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel late in the first half, giving the Red Raiders the ball back at the Sooner 29 yard line … the Red Raiders followed with a Donovan Smith six-yard touchdown pass to cut their deficit to 24-20 with 1:28 remaining in the half … proceeded to share a tackle for a loss with Krishon Merriweather on a 2nd-and-5 play on OU’s next drive that led to a 3-and-out … the Red Raiders got the ball back and drove 77 yards for a Trey Wolff field goal as time expired … again all over the field in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, totaling eight tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the win over Ole Miss (12/28) … intercepted a deep Jaxson Dart pass late in the first quarter for the first of Texas Tech’s five takeaways on the night … fumble recovery came just before halftime, meanwhile, as he fell on a loose ball caused by Jaylon Hutchings at the Ole Miss 37 yard line … the recovery gave the Red Raiders enough time for a quick drive where Tyler Shough found Jerand Bradley on a 12-yard touchdown strike to push the lead to 26-7 at the half … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized on the All-Big 12 second team by Pro Football Focus ... SENIOR DECISION: elected to return to the Red Raiders for a super senior season in 2023 as part of the extra year of eligibility afforded due to the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign ... announced his intentions to return before the Red Raiders even completed the regular season.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Put together a breakout season in the secondary as a junior … appeared in 12 of 13 games overall and became a regular starter late in the season … missed only the season-opening win over Houston (9/4) due to a preseason injury … made seven starts overall at safety, which all came during Big 12 play … made 62 tackles (41 solo) from his spot in the secondary, which ranked fourth on the team and second among defensive backs … doubled his career total for tackles (31) coming into the season … ball-hawk in the secondary with 10 pass breakups and a team-leading three interceptions … combined for 13 passes defended which led the team … made 88.7 percent of his tackles during Big 12 play as well as all his interceptions and pass breakups … had at least one tackle in 11 games overall and five or more stops eight times on the year … graded out at 76.0 on the season by Pro Football Focus, which ranked second on the team among regular contributors, trailing only Eric Monroe (76.7) … credited with appearing in 746 snaps defensively plus an additional 119 on special teams as a regular on kickoff coverage and punt block … ranked sixth on the team for total defensive snaps despite missing one regular-season contest … was Texas Tech’s highest-rated player in coverage, grading out at 80.2 overall … IN NCAA RANKINGS: closed the season ranked 36th nationally in total interceptions and 51st in interceptions per game (0.2) … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: was third in the league for total interceptions and fourth for interceptions per game … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made his season debut with seven tackles in Texas Tech’s victory over Stephen F. Austin (9/11) … did not record a tackle in the non-conference finale versus Florida International (9/18) but rebounded with five in the Big 12 opener at Texas (9/25) … performance against the Longhorns included two pass breakups and his first career interception … picked off Texas quarterback Casey Thompson in the end zone on the Longhorns’ first drive of the second half … had three tackles in the road victory at West Virginia (10/2) … made first start of the season against TCU (10/9), finishing with six stops … created his second interception of the season the next week at Kansas (10/16) to go along with a pair of pass breakups and three tackles … interception came on Kansas’ first play of the second quarter, giving Texas Tech prime field position for an eventual Jonathan Garibay field goal … had another pass breakup and six tackles the following week against Kansas State (10/23) … set a career high with eight tackles at Oklahoma (10/30) … later matched that total a few weeks later in the regular-season finale at Baylor (11/27) … combined for 12 tackles in the two games between that with five versus Iowa State (11/13) and seven against Oklahoma State (11/20) … win over the Cyclones also included his final interception of the year, which came on a deep pass to close Iowa State’s opening drive of the second half … closed the season with four tackles and a career-high three pass breakups in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Mississippi State (12/28) … AWARDS AND HONORS: honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches.
2020 SEAS0N (SOPHOMORE)
Appeared in all 10 games with three starts as a sophomore ... regular either on special teams or in the secondary … earned the start at the Spur position over the final three games of the season against Baylor, Oklahoma State and Kansas … the Red Raiders were 2-1 during that three-game stretch … majority of his 16 tackles on the year came during those three games as well … matched his total in tackles from his 2019 true freshman season despite playing in one less game … shared one tackle for a loss on the year, the second of his career … two of his tackles came via special teams with one on kickoff coverage and the other on punt team … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: combined for two tackles over the first six games of the year with one stop against Texas (9/26) and another versus Oklahoma (10/31) … surpassed that total with three tackles alone at TCU (11/7) … had four tackles the next week in his first start of the season against Baylor (11/14) … limited to one tackle at Oklahoma State (11/28) before closing the season with a career-high six stops in the win over Kansas (12/5) … performance included a tackle behind the line of scrimmage that resulted in a one-yard loss.
2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Became a regular in both the secondary and on special teams as only a true freshman … appeared in 11 games overall with two starts at safety after missing only the regular-season finale at Texas … one of four true freshmen on the defensive side of the ball to appear in five or more games … impressed coaches early after transitioning to the secondary from his spot at running back in high school ... totaled 16 tackles on the year, including one for a loss, to go along with a fumble recovery ... saw significant action in the secondary during Big 12 play … logged at least four tackles in three different games … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made his Red Raider debut with a tackle against Montana State (8/31) … inserted at safety late in the first half at Oklahoma (9/28) following an injury to Adrian Frye … finished the game with four tackles, including his lone takedown that went for a loss … earned the start at safety the next two weeks against Oklahoma State (10/5) and at Baylor (10/12) … recovered his first career fumble in the top-25 win over the Cowboys while adding four tackles … fumble recovery came in the final seconds of the third quarter off a Jordyn Brooks sack … set a season-high with five tackles several weeks later in a road win at West Virginia (11/9) … final tackle of the season came against TCU (11/16).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma City, Okla. … was a standout running back for the Titans but moved to the secondary at the collegiate level … named the Oklahoma 5A Player of the Year following his senior season … also an All-State selection at running back … named the Big All-City Offensive Player of the Year by The Oklahoman … compiled 1,365 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns over the 2018 season … strong season helped push Carl Albert to its third-straight Class 5A state championship … produced a solid junior campaign as well with 1,977 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 215 carries … earned All-City and All-Conference honors … finished his high school career with 4,611 rushing yards on the ground … a three-star prospect by 247Sports … listed as the No. 28 recruit in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Air Force, Army and Utah State.
PERSONAL
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson … father to Layla Grace Taylor, who was born March 2022 ... son of Fred and Shan Taylor ... one of four siblings ... nicknamed "Rabbit" by friends and family ... earned his degree in university studies major from Texas Tech in December 2023.